Washington, D.C. – More Americans are dying from easy access to guns, according to 2013 Fatal Injury Data released, January 22, 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control. In 2013, gun deaths over all increased slightly, from 33,563 in 2012 to 33,636 in 2013. This is the fourth year in a row that gun deaths have increased. This increase is primarily due to a 2.5% increase in firearm suicide of all ages. In 2012, 20,666 Americans used firearms to end their life. In 2013, that number was 21,175.

“This data doesn’t lie: Easy access to guns in our country is causing a public health crisis that we need to address urgently. Guns are a leading cause of death for young people. If certain trends continue, more young people will die from guns than automobile accidents,” said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Center. “The good news is there are real solutions we can use to prevent this from happening and achieve our goal to cut gun deaths in half by 2025. It all comes down to keeping guns out of the wrong hands. That's why Brady is committed to leading a new national conversation about the real dangers of youth access to guns in the home, passing background checks to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people and by cracking down on the small number of bad apple gun dealers who are flooding our streets with crime guns.”

The data also shows the margin between motor vehicle deaths and gun deaths continues to narrow. In 2013, 35,612 Americans died in car accidents, down 3% from 2012. However, in 2013, 33,636 Americans died from guns, compared to 33,563 in 2012. Strikingly, in 2013, gun deaths were higher than motor vehicle deaths in 17 states and Washington, D.C. In 2012, it was only 13 states and Washington, D.C.

The five states with the highest per capita gun death rates in 2013 were Alaska, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Wyoming. The state with the lowest gun death rate in the nation was Hawaii, followed by Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

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The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to a dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries. For more insight on gun violence prevention, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BradyBuzz.